The Understudy
by David Nicholls
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A scintillating comedy of ambition, celebrity, jealousy and love.The second novel by beloved bestselling author David Nicholls.Tags
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Stephen C. McQueen is an actor. Not the one in Bullitt -- this is a different Stephen McQueen (the C. doesn't stand for anything; it's just there to differentiate him, although nobody has ever made that mistake). This is a much more down-on-his-luck McQueen, one who spends his acting career in low-budget, low-limelight jobs. His current role is understudy to the prodigiously handsome and obnoxiously healthy Josh Harper, who is playing Lord Byron in a West End production called Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know. And while Stephen is struggling to rebuild his life after his divorce and repair his relationship with his daughter, Josh leads a life of glamorous parties and has a wonderfully quick-witted wife, Nora, whom Stephen rather fancies. show more But of course, that's life for the understudy. Will Stephen ever get a chance to play the lead role in his own life?
Throwing all of those elements together might sound kind of cheesy, but David Nicholls has a knack for writing breezy, fun books that still have a lot going on. I started reading this immediately after buying it and managed to knock out about 100 pages in two hours. Stephen is such a sad case that you keep reading, hoping his luck will improve, even when you laugh in a horrified manner at the mishaps he gets into (one such incident had me laughing out loud in the train station). It's a book with comedic and romantic elements, but it doesn't feel like a stereotypical "romantic comedy". It's a book that will keep you entertained and make you wish you could follow the characters around some more after you turn the last page. show less
Throwing all of those elements together might sound kind of cheesy, but David Nicholls has a knack for writing breezy, fun books that still have a lot going on. I started reading this immediately after buying it and managed to knock out about 100 pages in two hours. Stephen is such a sad case that you keep reading, hoping his luck will improve, even when you laugh in a horrified manner at the mishaps he gets into (one such incident had me laughing out loud in the train station). It's a book with comedic and romantic elements, but it doesn't feel like a stereotypical "romantic comedy". It's a book that will keep you entertained and make you wish you could follow the characters around some more after you turn the last page. show less
I read The Understudy not long after Starter for Ten. (Both these books arrived damaged from Australia Post in transit and got absolutely saturated with some kind of liquid, hopefully water). However, I digress. The problem with reading these two books in such quick succession was that The Understudy lost the quirky charm I felt for Brian in Starter for Ten because Stephen in this book is of a very similar mould.
I could probably cut and paste from my other review in the description of Stephen, but I won’t for you, the reader because I’d like you to stay awake for the next few minutes. Stephen is an actor who hasn’t made the big time – yet. (Naturally, he believes it’s right around the next corner). Despite his previous claims show more to fame as a squirrel and a dead body, Stephen is currently understudying England’s hottest actor, Josh, in a play on the West End. Stephen is cringeworthy most of the time, with bad jokes and an awkward manner with his ex-wife, her new husband, daughter and pretty much everyone. While it was plausible in 18 year old Brian of Starter for Ten, the loser, hopeless style of Stephen is harder to take as an adult. He’s a bit dorky and a bit lame with the slapstick events that seem to unfold all around him).
Despite Stephen’s misgivings, he manages to fall in love with Josh’s wife, Nora. And she seems to like him back. Nora is a much more spikier character – she has an interesting history and a lot more spine than Stephen. Josh is your typical ‘sexiest male’ actor – he likes the ladies and they like him. While we get to know the character of Stephen all too well, we don’t learn so much about the other characters.
I found the plot fairly interesting (not many books are set around a play) but the ending could be summarised as meh. It doesn’t really do anywhere or lead to any promise. You’re not left wondering about the characters and what will happen next, which I think is fairly important for a book to rate as ‘good’. Unfortunately it’s not One Day, not even close. What a pity.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less
I could probably cut and paste from my other review in the description of Stephen, but I won’t for you, the reader because I’d like you to stay awake for the next few minutes. Stephen is an actor who hasn’t made the big time – yet. (Naturally, he believes it’s right around the next corner). Despite his previous claims show more to fame as a squirrel and a dead body, Stephen is currently understudying England’s hottest actor, Josh, in a play on the West End. Stephen is cringeworthy most of the time, with bad jokes and an awkward manner with his ex-wife, her new husband, daughter and pretty much everyone. While it was plausible in 18 year old Brian of Starter for Ten, the loser, hopeless style of Stephen is harder to take as an adult. He’s a bit dorky and a bit lame with the slapstick events that seem to unfold all around him).
Despite Stephen’s misgivings, he manages to fall in love with Josh’s wife, Nora. And she seems to like him back. Nora is a much more spikier character – she has an interesting history and a lot more spine than Stephen. Josh is your typical ‘sexiest male’ actor – he likes the ladies and they like him. While we get to know the character of Stephen all too well, we don’t learn so much about the other characters.
I found the plot fairly interesting (not many books are set around a play) but the ending could be summarised as meh. It doesn’t really do anywhere or lead to any promise. You’re not left wondering about the characters and what will happen next, which I think is fairly important for a book to rate as ‘good’. Unfortunately it’s not One Day, not even close. What a pity.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less
I somehow missed this book, having enjoyed Starter for Ten I had wanted to read more of his and was given One Day to read over the summer.
A struggling actor, Stephen, a divorced father of one, is understudy to British hottest new thing, Josh. He hopes that Josh will one day fall off the stage, so he can get his chance at the limelight. This failing is not only in his professional life, but also extends to his personal life, and Stephen's whining does not do him any favours.
This is not a bad book, but it does fall short of the other 2. It's biggest drawback is the main character, Stephen makes you want to slap and tell him to buck up. A good beach read.
A struggling actor, Stephen, a divorced father of one, is understudy to British hottest new thing, Josh. He hopes that Josh will one day fall off the stage, so he can get his chance at the limelight. This failing is not only in his professional life, but also extends to his personal life, and Stephen's whining does not do him any favours.
This is not a bad book, but it does fall short of the other 2. It's biggest drawback is the main character, Stephen makes you want to slap and tell him to buck up. A good beach read.
Werd aangeprezen in Zone070 als een zomerboek van het lichte soort, alleen hebben ze het daar een beetje mis geloof ik. Volgens Zone070 wordt de New Yorkse theaterwereld op de hak genomen en dan heeft Amazon het ineens over West End, hetgeen volgens mij nog steeds Londen is. Maar ... geeft niet.
Nicholls's second novel (after A Question of Attraction) focuses on Stephen C. McQueen, a 32-year-old actor forlornly hoping for his big break. With an 11-year career whose sole highlight has been playing a corpse, Stephen's latest gig, understudying Josh Harper (one of London's hottest stars) in a West End play, actually has promise. If only Josh would miss a performance (say, break a leg, literally), Stephen would secure the lead, and in turn, show more the approval of his critical ex-wife, Alison, and his precocious seven-year-old daughter, Sophie. But while Josh is many things (self-absorbed, cruel), he's never sick, and just as Stephen's abhorrence for the haughty superstar reaches its crescendo (he's asked to waiter at Josh's birthday bash) Stephen meets Nora, Josh's acerbic and neglected bride, and later stumbles upon Josh mid-tryst with a costar. Suddenly Stephen's able to make a deal—his silence in exchange for the starring role. Of course, the rules of light romantic comedy prevail: Stephen falls in love with Nora and realizes that he can't lie to make his own career. show less
Nicholls's second novel (after A Question of Attraction) focuses on Stephen C. McQueen, a 32-year-old actor forlornly hoping for his big break. With an 11-year career whose sole highlight has been playing a corpse, Stephen's latest gig, understudying Josh Harper (one of London's hottest stars) in a West End play, actually has promise. If only Josh would miss a performance (say, break a leg, literally), Stephen would secure the lead, and in turn, show more the approval of his critical ex-wife, Alison, and his precocious seven-year-old daughter, Sophie. But while Josh is many things (self-absorbed, cruel), he's never sick, and just as Stephen's abhorrence for the haughty superstar reaches its crescendo (he's asked to waiter at Josh's birthday bash) Stephen meets Nora, Josh's acerbic and neglected bride, and later stumbles upon Josh mid-tryst with a costar. Suddenly Stephen's able to make a deal—his silence in exchange for the starring role. Of course, the rules of light romantic comedy prevail: Stephen falls in love with Nora and realizes that he can't lie to make his own career. show less
Having thoroughly enjoyed Starter for Ten and One Day, I was slightly surprised at how disappointing this novel was but we all have our bad days, I suppose. The self-deprecation and delusion that is ordinarily charming in many of Nicholls' characters is rather pathetic in Stephen. Nicholls should be congratulated in succeeding in creating some truly cringeworthy moments, but again I often felt more like rolling my eyes and shaking Stephen than patting his shoulder and assuring him we all have moments like that. Although this is relatively lacklustre compared to his other efforts, I remain a fan of Nicholls' work and still number him amongst my favourite contemporary British comic writers.
This was a great read - laugh out loud funny from the word go. It has just the right blend of humour and tragedy, with the hint of a major catastrophe coming down the tracks. Anyone who has read his first novel, 'Starter for Ten' will have an idea of the sort of thing to expect. Side splitting, toe curling, it kept me turning the pages at a furious pace.
not Nicholls' best, but has some good moments. Too romantic for me, but good because I could access it via download when the library was shut during COVID-19 lockdown
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Author Information
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David Nicholls was born in 1966 in Eastleigh, Hampshire, United Kingdom. He studied English literature and drama at the University of Bristol. When he graduated he won a scholarship to study at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. He appeared in plays at the Battersea Arts Centre, the Finborough, West Yorkshire Playhouse, show more Birmingham Rep, and had a three year stint at the Royal National Theatre, understudying and playing small parts. During this period he took a job at BBC Radio Drama as a script reader/researcher and he developed an adaptation of Sam Shepard's stage-play Simpatico with the director Matthew Warchus. He also wrote his first original script, Waiting, which was later optioned by the BBC. Simpatico was turned into a feature film in 1999 which allowed him to start writing full-time. I Saw You won best single play at the annual BANFF television festival. He has been twice nominated for BAFTA awards. His first novel, Starter for 10, was featured on the first Richard and Judy Book Club. His other novels include The Understudy, One Day, which won the Galaxy Book Award, and Us. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Pour une fois
- Original publication date
- 2005
- Epigraph
- No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be: / Am an attendant lord, one that will do / To swell a progress, start a scene or two / Advise the prince; no doubt an easy tool, / Deferential, glad to be of use, / Politic, ca... (show all)utious, and meticulous; / Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse; / At times, indeed, almost ridiculous - / Almost, at times, the Fool ... T.S.Eliot The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock
Learn your lines and don't bump into the furniture. Spencer Tracy - Dedication
- To Roanna Benn, Matthew Warchus and Hannah Weaver, for the breaks.
- First words
- - That's not real life, lad. That's just pretending.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'Let's wait and see,' and he closed his eyes too, and did his best to try to sleep.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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